The Rock Officially Confirms His ‘Shazam’ Role on Twitter

Dwayne Johnson has been teasing his involvement in a 'Shazam' movie for years now, constantly asking fans on social media if they'd rather see him play the title superhero or his nemesis, Black Adam. Today, it looks like that decision has finally been made. Johnson took to Twitter and revealed that he'll be playing Black Adam.

Here's that tweet, complete with a character-appropriate quote and a few choice hashtags:

Moments after Johnson's tweet went out, Variety confirmed the news, revealing that screenwriter Darren Lemke has been hired by Warner Bros. to pen the script. Lemke, whose credits include the upcoming 'Goosebumps' move and 'Jack the Giant Slayer,' seems like a solid choice for this property, which could skew slightly younger than the studio's Superman and Batman projects.

Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel) may not have the same recognition as other DC heroes, but he's one of the earliest comic book superheroes. When young Billy Batson says the magic phrase "Shazam," he's transformed into a powerful superhero with god-like abilities, including flight and super strength. It's the ultimate wish-fulfillment character: a kid with the body and power of a superhero.

But Dwayne Johnson is playing Black Adam, an ancient version of Shazam who finds himself in modern times and not too happy with the heroes of the DC universe. Although originally an evil supervillain, Black Adam has grown more complicated in recent years. Newer comics depict him as a misunderstood guy out to clear his name and leave his past behind. The fact that Johnson uses "antihero" has a hashtag indicates that his take on Black Adam won't be a traditional villain, but a guy with a few shades of grey.

We have no idea when 'Shazam' is expected to begin production or whether it will follow or precede the 'Wonder Woman' and 'Aquaman' movies. However, with nine movies planned between now and 2020, we expect Warner Bros. will let us know soon enough.